Steinhauer Ranch Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 8 to 25 years from the vintage release, as the intense mountain tannins require several years to soften and reveal the wine's complex layers.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Slow-roasted prime rib, grilled rosemary lamb chops, or aged hard cheeses like extra-mature Cheddar.
✨ Technical Specifications
Perched high atop the rugged slopes of Howell Mountain, Beringer's Steinhauer Ranch Vineyard is a testament to mountain viticulture. Named in honor of Beringer's legendary longtime vineyard manager, Bob Steinhauer, this site sits well above the fog line, basking in intense sunlight while cooled by high-altitude breezes. The soil here is classic Howell Mountain: nutrient-poor, iron-rich volcanic red clay strewn with tufa rock. This harsh environment forces the Cabernet Sauvignon vines to struggle, producing tiny, thick-skinned berries with concentrated flavors and robust tannins. Beringer crafts this single-vineyard gem to showcase the raw power and minerality of its mountain terroir, aging the wine in premium French oak barrels to seamlessly integrate its formidable structure with rich dark fruit and earthy complexity. It stands as a monument to Napa Valley's historic pioneering spirit.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1876 by brothers Jacob and Frederick Beringer, Beringer Vineyards holds the distinction of being California's oldest continuously operating winery, situated in the heart of St. Helena in Napa Valley. Pioneers of early Napa winemaking, the Beringer brothers engineered hand-dug limestone caves and gravity-fed cellars to craft refined, ageworthy wines. Today, owned by Treasury Wine Estates, the historic estate maintains an uncompromising dedication to site-specific viticulture across prime Napa Valley and Knights Valley terroirs. Beringer is internationally celebrated for its flagship Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, alongside complex single-vineyard expressions and botrytized dessert wines like Nightingale.